Reinforced examination gown

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed is for a method and apparatus for preparing new improved reinforced examination gowns which are disposable after use.

United States Patent 1 Trombly et a1.

[451 Aug. 14, 1973 REINFORCED EXAMINATION GOWN [75] Inventors: Michael E. Trombly, Livonia;

Samuel H. Cowen, Southfield, both of Mich.

[731 Assignee: Chemed Corporation,Cincinnati,

Ohio

[22] Filed: Nov. 16, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 199,149

[52] US. Cl. 2/114, 2/D1G. 7 [51] Int. Cl A41d 9/00 [58] Field of Search 2/49 R, 50, 87, 88,

2/93, 105, 114, 243 R, 243 B, DIG. 7; 206/632 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1227.348 5/1972 Bradley 2/114 Primary Examiner-Werner l-l. Schroeder Attorney-Eugene M. Bond et a1.

[ ABSTRACT The invention disclosed is for a method and apparatus for preparing new improved reinforced examination gowns which are disposable after use.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing F igures CONTINUOUS INSERTING OF RE'INFORCEMENT STRIP BETWEEN TISSUE LAYERS I CONTINUOUS EMBOSSING OF RE-INFORCED TISSUE CONTINUOUS FOLDING III OF EMBOSSED TISSUE CONTINUOUS TAKE'LP STATION 11 FOR FOLDED TISSUE INTERMITTENT APPLICATION OF ADHESIVE BETWEEN FOLDS CONTINUOUS TAKE'UP STATION CONTINUOUS CUTTING OF GOWN PATTERN CONTINUOUS SEVERING OF GOWNS XIII REMOVAL OF REMAINING CUT SECTIONS PACKAGE FOR SHIPMENT X REINFORCED EXAMINATION GOWN The present invention relates to an improved laminated reinforced examination gown. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for continuously preparing improved reinforced examination gowns which are disposable after use.

Numerous disposable gowns are available to the prior art for use in clinical examinations. Generally, when disposable gowns are formed of tissue paper, a tendency for tearing appears along a central front line down from the area for positioning about the patients neck. Attempts to correct this weak area have been made with lamination of the tissue paper by a film of plastic such as polyethylene film providing one solution. However, use of a laminating layer of plastic film also increases the cost of preparing disposable gowns while providing material where reinforcement is not required. Attempts to provide limited reinforcement in disposable gown has not been available probably because of difficulties encountered in providing necessary machinery for continuous production. It has now been found that by practice of the present invention, there is provided a method and, apparatus for continuous preparation of reinforced disposable gowns which overcome numerous disadvantages and expenses of that available in the prior art.

Generally stated, the present invention provides a disposable gown for medical examination of a patient. The disposable gown includes a lamination of paper tissue which when folded in a W configuration includes a reinforcing strip disposed along the central peak of the folded W. The gown further includes removed corner sections from the folded W configuration along one edge thereof having edge portions adhesively joined such that in use, the gown will have edges joined for support by the shoulder areas of a patient, with the removed sections for positioning about the neck and arms of the patient.

In the method and apparatus of the present invention, means are provided for continuously inserting a reinforcing strip between tissue layers, after which the lamination may be embossed ifdesired. Next, the lamination is folded along the width such that a W configuration results with the reinforcing strip disposed about the central peak of the folded W. After the folding step, adhesive is intermittently applied along a line between the legs of the fold forming the folded W. Intermittent application of adhesive may be achieved by providing take-up stations before and after the adhesive application station. Following the application of adhesive, gown patternsare continuously cut into the folded W after which removal of remaining cut sections is cffected. The prepared gowns are then packaged for shipment for ultimate use by the consumer.

Practice of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the gown of the present invention as it may appear about a patient for examination;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present gown as it appears prior to use;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of the gown of FIG. 2 and illustrates the reinforcing section in position;

FIG. 4 presents the method of the present invention in block diagram;

FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus of the present invention taken as a side elevational view; and

FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus of the present invention taken as a top elevational view.

Referring to FIG. 1., disposable gown 20 is illustrated having ribbon securing means 22 disposed about phantom patient 24. Ribbon securing means 22 may be formed of cord, cloth, or the like provided that the material used is inexpensive, disposable, and capable of holding a knot when disposed about a patient.

FIG. 2 illustrates disposable gown 20 in folded condition as it appears prior to further folding, if desired, and packaging for shipment, with FIG. 3 illustrating in detail the folded condition of gown 20 with reinforcing strip 26 in position about what may be described as the central peak of folded W formation. The gown is configurated with removed sections 23 forming an area for positioning around the neck portion of the patient, and removed section 25 for positioning about the arm portions of the patient, with adhesive line 21' joining the folds between the legs forming the W formation with adhesive disposed from removed section 23 to removed section 25.

FIG. 4 illustrates the method and apparatus of the present invention by block diagram with Roman numerals further identified in subsequent drawings where the corresponding features are illustrated in greater detail. In FIG. 4, the method may be initiated by providing means for continuously inserting the reinforcement strip between tissue layers. The tissue layers are desirably one or more plys, preferably of facialgrade tissue, and desirably having a weight of paper suitable for use in the laminate. The weight of paper depends upon the plys to be used, and if a layer is taken as a single ply of tissue, desirably a paper weight of 10-16 pounds tissue paper grade should be used. In the event that two or more plys are to be used forming a layer, tissue paper of from 10-16 pound grade should be used. Up to four plys of facial grade tissue paper may be used to form each layer as subsequently provided. Desirably, the paper layers are integrally associated in each layer forming the present garment such that the form and intact sheet composed of several layers as is conventional practice inpreparing facial grade'tissue. The preferred tissue paper grade is a 12 pound facial grade tissue paper.

The reinforcing strip may be formed of numerous materials including paper, fabric, or plastic as desired. It is found that plastic materials formed of nylon, polyvinyl chloride, polyesters, polyolefins and the like are usefully employed whether taken separately or when copolymerized with other monomers. Polyethylene is preferred for use as the reinforcing material for its ready availability and low cost. Preferably, the reinforcing film is polyethylene film having a thickness of at least 0.5 mil., and preferably about I mil., the thickness of which is'dependent upon the strength of the reinforcing desired.

After the reinforcing strip has been inserted between two layers of tissue grade paper, the resulting laminate may be embossed if desired after which the laminate is folded to form a W configuration along the width of the laminate. Next, the laminate in folded condition enters a continuous take-up station from which the laminate passes through a intermittent adhesive application station. The adhesive is desirably one of numerous materials conventionally employed in adhering facial grade tissues. The adhesive is disposed between the legs forming the W configuration at predetermined invervals such that upon being severed, the gown results having one adhesive line disposed near one edge thereof.

Following the intermittent application of adhesive between the folds of the W configuration, the laminate proceeds to a continuous take-up station from which material is continuously supplied to a cutter of gown pattern into the folded laminate. The continous cutter severs corner portions of the laminate at predetermined intervals thereby providing areas for positioning about the neck and arm portions of a patient in the finally prepared gown. Next, individual gowns are sevcred from the continuous length of laminate after which any remaining sections may be removed as desired prior to final packaging for shipment and consumption of the gowns.

Referring to FIGS. -6, the apparatus of the present invention is diagramatically illustrated with the steps further coordinated with FIG. 4 by Roman numerals.

ln FIGS. 5-6, facial grade tissue is received from roll 30 and from roll 34 with reinforcement stripping received from roll 32 with lamination effected at roll 36. Rolls of tissue grade paper may be one or multiple ply as desired. The laminate from roll 36 proceeds through direction rolls 38 as desired with the lamination 37 being embossed, if desired, by embossing rolls 40 and 42. Embossed laminate 44 is passed around guide and tension rolls 46 to longitudinally folding means illustrated diagrammatically as A frame with direction plate 50 indicating the point of fold. From frame 48, the laminate appears with a W configuration as folded laminate 52. Desirably, between the legs forming the central peak of the W configuration is disposed cord from supply 54 which is passed through a crimping roll 56 which results in a greater length of material 58 being disposed between the folded laminate. Crimping rolls 56 also avoid tension from resulting on cord thereby thereby disrupting and severing the smooth introduction of the cord between the folded laminate. Folded laminate with cord there between proceeds as folded laminate 60 to take-up rolls 64 which provide tensioning and direction control means to laminate 60 as it proceeds to continuous take-up station illustrated by roll 66. Continuous take-up is effected by pivoting roll 66 in a substantially vertical manner such that the length of material between rolls 64 and roll 68 is included. Using this technique, material may be received into the area of rolls 64 and 66 continuously while permitting intermittent application of adhesive by adhesive discharge means 70 within openings of the W configuration provided by guides 69. Adhesive is discharged by moving adhesive applicator across the length of material at a predetermined line. During application of adhesive, the laminate in the area of the adhesive station remains stationary relative to take-up station 66 thereby permitting adhesive to be disposed along the predetermined line. From adhesive station, the folded laminate proceeds over rolls 72 through tensioning rolls 74 and ultimately to a subsequent continuous take-up station 76 from which material continuously passes over rolls as required to cutting station 80 which effects severing of the corner portions near the adhesive line of the laminate. As is apparent in FIG. 6, corner sections 86 and 87 are severed by cutting station 80 with further means 82 for severing lengths of gowns as required near the adhesive line.

Because the laminate being processed is tissue paper, further compounded by high speeds, it is found desirable to include flippers 84 and 85 which, being formed of rubber, conveniently remove any remaining corners which have been severed and remain lingering unto the gowns being processed. These flippers insure removal of any remaining cut sections such as those identified as corner sections 86 and 87. Gown 20 results from the flippers having removed portion 23 serving as the neck area with removed portions 25 serving as areas to receive the arms of a patient, both sections joined by adhesive line 21. The gowns processed from FIG. 6 may then be packaged as indicated in FIG. 5 as package 86 for shipment and ultimate consumption by the user.

Although the present apparatus is generally illustrated, it is recognized that the various rolls are synchronized relative to each other with drive means conveniently provided where required. Numerous other details of construction will become apparent to those readily skilled in the art and accordingly, it is to be realized that the foregoing description is given merely by way of illustration, and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A disposable gown which comprises, a plurality of layers of tissue grade paper folded as a W configuration along the length, a reinforcing strip disposed along the central peak of the folded W, a first arcuate removed corner along one end of the folded W, a second arcuate removed comer along said one end opposite said first arcuate removed comer, and an adhesive line disposed to adhere the folded W sheet near the terminal edge of the folded W, said adhesive line between the legs projecting from the folded W configuration.

2. The disposable gown of claim 1 wherein the tissue grade paper has a paper weight of 10-16 pounds grade, and the reinforcing strip is formed of polyethylene.

3. The disposable gown of claim 2 wherein the reinforcing strip has a thickness of at least 0.5 mil.

4. The disposable gown of claim 3 wherein the reinforcing strip has a thickness of 1 mil. 

1. A disposable gown which comprises, a plurality of layers of tissue grade paper folded as a W configuration along the length, a reinforcing strip disposed along the central peak of the folded W, a first arcuate removed corner along one end of the folded W, a second arcuate removed corner along said one end opposite said first arcuate removed corner, and an adhesive line disposed to adhere the folded W sheet near the terminal edge of the folded W, said adhesive line between the legs projecting from the folded W configuration.
 2. The disposable gown of claim 1 wherein the tissue grade paper has a paper weight of 10-16 pounds grade, and the reinforcing strip is formed of polyethylene.
 3. The disposable gown of claim 2 wherein the reinforcing strip has a thickness of at least 0.5 mil.
 4. The disposable gown of claim 3 wherein the reinforcing strip has a thickness of 1 mil. 